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Shane Harvey is not only a veteran movie/TV production still photographer, he is also an award-winning feature film and television composer/musician. Harvey recognized in his early childhood that music would be his life’s calling. That momentous occasion, as a five-year-old growing up in Toronto, happened when the youngster held an Elvis Presley postcard sent to his father, the late country singer Larry Harvey, an acquaintance of The King and his manager, Col. Tom Parker.
About his father, who, recently passed away at age 87, Harvey says, “my father was responsible for why I became a singer. Right up to his death, he served as an inspiration to the me and my music, It was so natural to always hear singing in the house, so I don't think I had any choice.”
Although he first expressed his creative side in the world of still photography, Harvey’s private hours were devoted to his love of music. Proficient on the trumpet, piano and drums, his first professional recording was his original composition for the song Ricky, for which he won the prestigious National ‘MuchMusic’ songwriting contest, beating out a thousand other hopefuls. It wasn’t long before he turned to film music, collaborating with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on numerous movie projects, including the cult classic, “Clearcut.”
He later worked with the late jazz legend Moe Koffman on the feature film, “The Shower,” and also counts among his feature film scores the European box office hit “Uklad Zamkinety,” “Zaćma,” “Paper Promises,” “General Nil,” “The Rhino Brothers,” “Gracze,” “Exposed,” Xes Diner,” “Domesticide” and “Middlemen,” for which he won the IFTC Award for Best Original Sore in 2003.
As a singer-songwriter, Harvey penned the infectious tune Got A Hold on Me, a song featured in the 2006 boxoffice hit “Final Destination 3.” He has also composed other single releases including Fathers Footsteps, She Was My Momma, Til I’m Dead and Gone, Loves in Remission, This Kind of Love and Listen to the People, written for Second Harvest Food Bank. His long-form recordings include Fatherson: WANTED and For Guinevere: To Hell and Back, a wildly original, semi-autobiographical album whose melodies and lyrics feature several musical styles and influences, including jazz and rap. Famed songwriter/record producer Jim Vallance calls Shane’s CD a “Masterpiece.”
In addition to his work on the big and small screens, Harvey has also won accolades for his jingle compositions. His Ally Dupont spot earned a ‘Telly’ for Best 30 Second music composition in the U.S. He has also composed jingles for such products as Ford Canada, ALS Society and Wolverine Clothing. He is also an accomplished voiceover talent who can heard on numerous radio spots throughout Canada.
Harvey has also performed and recorded with such popular musical artists as Alanis Morisette, Anne Murray and David Clayton Thomas of Blood, Sweat and Tears. As a jazz performer, he dazzled audiences with his unique Chet Baker Tribute show, about which Toronto Star entertainment reporter Rob Salem hailed “the influence of Chet Baker is unmistakable, yet the voice(and melodious trumpet riffs) clearly belong to Shane Harvey.” In addition to his attraction to Baker’s work and style, Harvey’s musical influences also include the great R&B singer Stevie Wonder, fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Lanois, and the legendary and prolific film composer Ennio Morricone.
Harvey has also collected raves from the likes of controversial rapper Snoop Dogg (“the best mother#@*! white singer I ever heard...he’s like White Chocolate”), the late R&B legend Isaac Hayes (“Does Shane sing it straight up? You’re damn right!”), iconic stadium rocker Jon Bon Jovi (“I was blown away by Shane’s strong vocals”) and Patience Higgins, a member of Duke Ellington’s famed orchestra (who called Harvey “a double threat” because of his harmonious blend of vocals and trumpet playing).
Select press and interview moments
These performances are from the documentary Paper Promises released in 2010. The late singer Larry Harvey finally graces the stage of the Ryman auditorium 50 years after bailing on the music business to look after his young family.
Shane Harvey CityTV Much Music interviews from the 1980's.
Much Music Songwriting winner Shane Harvey performs Ricky.
The story of the documentary Paper Promise was so intriguing, exciting and lauded in the fall of 2010 that Canada’s top news radio show AS IT HAPPENS host Carol Off jumped at the chance to interview Larry and Shane Harvey.
A behind the scenes look at the making of the Polish box office hit Uklad Zamkinety. Various interviews including the films music composer Shane Harvey.
Citytv MuchMusic interviews Sugar Shane Harvey before his sold out show at the VECC in Vancouver where Harvey will be performing songs from his latest CD For Guinevere, To Hell And Back. The album has been called a masterpiece by famous Canadian songwriter/producer Jim Vallance.